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NATIONAL [The Hindu]
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Ordinance to end RBI’s liability
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New draft could help India’s NSG entry
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CCEA approves road project for Maoist areas
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EDITORIAL/OPINION [The Hindu]
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ECONOMY [The Hindu]
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Live Mint
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Indian Express
Click here to Download 9 PM Daily Brief PDF [29th Dec. 2016]
NATIONAL [The Hindu]
[1] Ordinance to end RBI’s liability
The Hindu
Context: Ordinance promulgated by Union Cabinet regarding demonetisation process.
What does Ordinance do?
a) Help extinguish the Reserve Bank of India’s liability towards currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000
Though, demonetised currency is no longer a legal tender but RBI has legal obligation of payment of demonetised currency. This ordinance relives RBI of that obligation
b) Provision to penalise holders of such notes above a certain threshold after March 31, 2017.
[2] New draft could help India’s NSG entry
The Hindu
Context: A draft proposal to allow entry of non-signatory to NPT.
Countries non-signatory to NPT: India, Israel and Pakistan has never signed NPT. North Korea was a party to treaty till its withdrawal in 2003.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.
[3] CCEA approves road project for Maoist areas
The Hindu
Scheme: Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas
Under the aegis of: Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY)
Objective: to improve rural road connectivity in the worst-affected left-wing extremism (LWE) districts
Approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
The Centre will fund 60 per cent of the road project and the rest will come from States. However, in the north-east, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Centre will provide 90 per cent funding.
EDITORIAL/OPINION [The Hindu]
[1] Tel Aviv on tenterhooks
The Hindu
Why in News?
- Recently, the United States abstained on UN Security Council resolution 2334, which condemned Israel’s settlement activity in the occupied territory of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- Israel pressured the U.S. to veto the resolution, but US did not oblige.
- Malaysia, New Zealand, Venezuela and Senegal sponsored the resolution, which passed with 14 votes in favor and one abstention (the U.S.).
- However, Israel has rejected the resolution by saying that they have the right to build “homes in the Jewish people’s historic homeland” which further proudly reclaimed the land of our forefathers.
Background:
- In 1967, Israel seized the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
- The UN Security Council passed a series of resolutions (242, 252, 298) within the next decade, asking Israel to withdraw from this land.
- The Oslo Accords (1994) also put in place the possibility of a Palestinian state, although it did not have an explicit statement to end settlement activity.
- Five years back, US had vetoed a similar resolution and US rejected in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity.
Impact – Analysis:
- Diplomats around the world are hoping that this action will help in pushing towards the two-state solution which is the common aspiration of the international community.
- Israel fears of the steps that would come after this resolution, particularly from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
- In January, 2015 International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a preliminary investigation into Israel’s actions during the 2014 bombing of Gaza and into the illegal settlements.
- Now, this Resolution 2334 produces the political will for a full criminal investigation by the ICC.
- With Palestine as a recognized state in the UN as of 2012, and as a member of the ICC since 2014, with this resolution in force, the ICC could move in the next few months to a rigorous investigation of Israeli criminality.
- This would threaten the settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but it would also pressure Israeli soldiers to refuse to serve in any future criminal bombardment of Gaza.
- The Israeli establishment also worries that the ICC would legitimately turn its gaze on issues such as population transfer and war crimes.
- Till now, the vetoes from Washington prevented any legal foundation for ICC action against Israel. However, this situation has changed now and Pressure will mount on ICC to take the investigation forward.
- AntónioGuterres, the UN’s new Secretary-General has indicated that he will send a UN Support Mission to push for a two-state solution.
- On the other hand, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to undo the resolution and threatened to end U.S. funding to the UN.
[2] Still frowning upon intermarriages
The Hindu
- R. Ambedkar’s view on Caste System in India:
- According to him, the social ban on intermarriage is the most fundamental idea on which the whole fabric of caste is built up.
- And caste system can be annihilated only when people marry across caste lines.
Findings of new survey:
- Recently, a new survey called SARI (Social Attitudes Research for India) conducted a survey to know the people’s views about inter-caste and inter-religious marriage.
- Sample of survey included the adults 18-65 years old and interview of 1,270 adults in Delhi and 1,470 adults in Uttar Pradesh was conducted.
- Surveys asked questions such as:
- o Whether people would oppose their children or close family members marrying people from other social groups.
- o Should there be laws to stop marriages between upper castes and lower castes?
- Nearly 50 per cent of the non-Scheduled Caste respondents in Delhi and 70 per cent in Uttar Pradesh said that they would oppose a child or close relative marrying a Dalit.
- In Delhi, about 60 per cent of Hindus and Muslims opined that they would oppose a child or relative marrying a Muslim and Hindu, respectively.
- In Uttar Pradesh, the opposition was greater. About 75 per cent of Hindus opposed marriages with Muslims, and about 70 per cent of Muslims opposed marriages with Hindus.
- About 40 per cent respondents in Delhi and more than 60 per cent in rural Uttar Pradesh suggested that there should be laws to stop marriages between upper castes and lower castes.
- Interestingly, a higher fraction of women than men in both places Delhi and Uttar Pradesh said they would support laws against inter-caste marriage.
- In terms of education level, a high fraction of people who had passed Class 10 or higher said that they support laws against inter-caste marriage.
- In Delhi, about 25 per cent and in Uttar Pradesh about 45 per cent of highly educated people said there should be a law against such marriages.
Analysis:
- The finding of the survey such as support to laws against
inter-caste marriages by many educated people raises
serious questions about our education system and its
utility in doing enough to reduce caste and religious
prejudice.
- This also signifies that still many of the youth passing out
of the premier technical and medical institutions still
depends on their parents to choose their spouses.
- Survey findings also suggests that because of fear of being outcast among his family and neighbors and fear of being barred from family inheritance people support marriages with in his/her own caste.
- There is also a strong belief that it is more convenient to settle down with a socially and culturally familiar person.
Government’s Support for inter-caste marriage:
- At present, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment makes available 500 monetary awards to inter-caste couples.
- The small size of this programme makes it more of a symbolic gesture than an actual incentive
Way Forward:
- It is very clear that inter-caste marriages should be encouraged in order to annihilate the caste system in India.
- Hence, government should do much more to promote inter-group marriage and to protect those who seek inter-caste marriages.
ECONOMY [The Hindu]
[1]. Cabinet’s gives nod for International Solar Alliance pact
The Hindu
Context:The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its ex-post facto approval to the proposal of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for the ratification of the International Solar Alliance’s framework agreement by India.
International Solar Alliance:
The International Solar Alliance is a common platform for cooperation among sun-rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn who are seeking to massively ramp up solar energy, thereby helping to bend the global greenhouse emissions curve whilst providing clean and cheap energy.
The initiative was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of 2015 by the President of France and the Prime Minister of India.
Five Key Focus Areas
Key focus areas to achieve these objectives are to:
- Promote solar technologies, new business models and investment in the solar sector to enhance prosperity
- Formulate projects and programmes to promote solar applications
- Develop innovative financial mechanisms to reduce cost of capital
- Build a common knowledge e-Portal
- Facilitate capacity building for promotion and absorption of solar technologies and R&D among member countries.
Live Mint
[1] Is the Naga peace deal dead?
Live Mint
Context: The Naga Blockade of Manipur.
Background
- The “framework agreement for peace” signed on 3 August 2015 between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim(Isak-Muivah), or NSCN (I-M).
- This agreement provided a boost to the 1997 ceasefire.
- This ceasefire permitted NSCN (I-M)to recruit, train, and arm—and for all purposes run a parallel administration.
- Myanmar-based Khaplang, or K faction of NSCN, has attacked Indian army in alliance with the Meitei rebelsand has been fighting the IM group.
What these group claims?
- Both I-M and K factions, like other, smaller factions of Naga rebels, claim Greater Nagaland as their stated objective.
- This claim also includesNaga homelands in Manipur.
UNC demand
- United Naga Council (UNC)is the apex body of Naga tribes in Manipur.
- It has been pushing for an ‘Alternative agreement’ to fulfill the demands of the Naga dominated hill region of Manipur.
- In November, UNCtriggered a blockading of highways through Naga-held hills in Manipur.
- Although Congress chief minister OkramIbobi Singh has been successful in ending this blockade, but it will not resolve the conflict.
Steps taken by Ibobi
He created seven new districts to add to Manipur’s existing nine—of which the creation of four carved away non-Naga or non I-M areas of influence.
It cauterized a current and de facto Manipur from a future Manipur.
[2] The waters of our discontent
Live Mint
Issue
The Patidar, Maratha and Jat agitations are symptoms of agricultural distress that can be traced back to the drying up of water resources and the lack of viable alternatives.
There is an urgent need to solve the issue of water sharing issues arising in the country
Division of river for the water sharing
There are 2 units of river water: Upstream and downstream
The total surplus is maximized when:-
- Upstream farmer uses one unit, watering the most fertile portion of his land, and
- Downstream farmer uses the remaining one unit on her most fertile acreage.
But problem here is that upstream farmer can use his positional advantage to grab both units of water.
Inequality arises when the second farmer is relatively poor.
How government adjudicate this problem and challenges of these decisions
- Government settles riparian rights based on the quantity of water that can be used by each other.
- For instance, Cauvery agreement prescribes the quantity of water that accrues to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.
- Such agreements are susceptible to delays and opacity in decision making.
Cauvery agreement
- The 1924 Cauvery agreement was believed to be skewed in favor of Madras.
- The agreement has been revisited frequently.
SYL issue
- SYL issue between Panjab and Haryana
- Sharing of waters between Haryana and Punjab was decided at the time of the formation of Haryana in 1966.
- Construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal was officially started in 1982 to operationalize the agreement.
- But the agreement could not be operationalize due to the dispute.
Common property resources
- In the resources which are common between several parties, the problem arises each user of the resource fails to take into account the effect of his usage on the depletion of the common property resource for other users.
- The problem amplifies when the total common stock of the resource is depleting every year.
Depleting water resources
In the alluvial aquifers of northern Gujarat, groundwater is evenly spread, hence it causes no problem.
However in the hard rock aquifers of the Deccan plateau, the ground water is not evenly spread, but is spatially concentrated.
The water scarcity arises, when users try to maximize their water use by using water intensive crops.
Effects of depleting ground water on the rivers
Depletion of groundwater reduces the flow in rivers in two ways:
- It reduces the recharge of rivers from groundwater
- And it occasions the demand for dams and canals from communities that have become powerful in the groundwater economy.
- This further reduces the flow and quality of surface water and puts river agreements at risk.
Consequence of depleting river water
When the exploitation of groundwater becomes unviable due to receding levels, when dams are delayed, and when exit options in the form of government jobs or migration to other countries dry out, there is unrest as powerful agricultural communities hit the streets.
Indian Express
[1] Reaching The Milestone
Context: The legislations passed by US Congress designating India as “major defence partner.”
What does being designated “major defence partner” mean for India?
It brings India in league of closest allies of US when it comes to transfer of defence technologies.
The timeline of India – US defence cooperation.
- It all started in 1995 with Agreed Minute on Defence Relations.
- But in 1998, India conducted Nuclear Tests which led to sanctions from the West. Any progress on Defence cooperation was lost.
- Over next decade, India was not able to forge a close defence cooperation with US. This has been attributed to:
- a) India’s over dependence on Russia for her defence supplies.
- b) India’s political class reservations against substantial defence purchasing from US.
- 2005 – New framework for the US – India Defence Relationship – gave a fresh start to India – US defence cooperation.
- 2013 – Joint Principles for Defence Cooperation – The both parties recognised that they share common security and place each other at the same level as their closest partners.
- 2015 – Framework for the US – India Defence Relationship – India has become largest purchaser of US weaponry and also US has replaced Russia as principal defence supplier.
The Untouched Region in India US Defence Partnership – There is no talk on joint projects on the similar line as Brahmos / Fifth Generation Aircraft between India and Russia.
What are the reasons for US inclination towards India?
- a) Dramatic decline in utility of Pakistan for US after death of Osama Bin Laden coupled with US intention to reduce its military strength in Afghanistan.
- b) Greater assertiveness by China in South China Sea.
- c) India under Modi’s regime seems more than willing to reciprocate to friendly advances of US.
The Future under New US President
The aggressive attitude of Trump towards China, make it highly unlikely for him to abandon a significant defence partnership in Asia.
A significant Indian diaspora in US and majorly in favour of Trump will make it difficult for him to alienate with India.
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